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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · calf · bass · sharp · race · field · pass · pit

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. sharp — clever
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — for sport
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bass — low music
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. field — farmland
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com